There’s something powerful about seeing someone live what they preach. We have had enough of eloquence, stage presence, and polished presentations. We want to see it lived out. There is a power in your example and mine.
We are all examples. You are either a good example or a bad example, but your life reflects your personal walk with Jesus.
I want to be the type of example that Paul was to young Timothy. Of course, He wasn’t perfect, but what a life he lived.
2 Timothy 3:10 (NKJV) “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,”
Paul didn’t just teach truth. He lived it. Timothy learned from Paul’s words, but especially from the way he walked through hardship, how he treated people, and how he stayed faithful when things were overwhelmingly hard.
That kind of steady example is unfortunately rare, but when you see it, it sticks with you. I’ve had the privilege of seeing it up close. Pastor Jeff Johnson (Calvary Chapel Downey, CA), who pastored me for many years, wasn’t perfect, but he was faithful. I watched him show patience. I saw him endure criticism without quitting. He kept teaching the Word. He kept loving people. Even when it was hard, he didn’t walk away. Week after week, he taught us the Word.
This is what Paul encourages Timothy to continue doing. Keep going. Stay in the Word. Hold on to what you’ve seen and learned. In a world that changes so easily, we need people who remain sure and steady.
1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV) “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
We need to become that kind of person for others. You never know who’s watching your life, trying to figure out how to suffer well, how to stay faithful, or how to follow Jesus, not just by listening to sermons, but by watching how you live.
So maybe it’s worth asking: Who are you following? And who are you becoming? Are you learning from people whose lives actually reflect the gospel? Are you becoming the kind of example that someone else can look to when they’re struggling?
Pastor Jeff Johnson passed away in 2024 and went home to be with his Lord. He is missed, but his example lives on.
2 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV) “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
